Which has stronger valuation and earnings, MRK or AMGN?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Amgen. Amgen is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 5.78 $18.25B $1.25 121.77 Amgen $38.10B 6.28 $7.71B $16.09 27.49

Is MRK or AMGN more profitable?

Amgen has a net margin of 22.95% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. Amgen's return on equity of 124.14% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Merck & Co., Inc. 4.77% 16.73% 6.13% Amgen 22.95% 124.14% 13.18%

Does the media prefer MRK or AMGN?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 2 more articles in the media than Amgen. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 64 mentions for Amgen. Amgen's average media sentiment score of 1.19 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Amgen is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 39 Very Positive mention(s) 7 Positive mention(s) 7 Neutral mention(s) 6 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Amgen 49 Very Positive mention(s) 5 Positive mention(s) 3 Neutral mention(s) 2 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Does the media prefer GILD or MRK?

In the previous week, Gilead Sciences had 27 more articles in the media than Merck & Co., Inc.. MarketBeat recorded 93 mentions for Gilead Sciences and 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc.. Gilead Sciences' average media sentiment score of 1.23 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Gilead Sciences is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Gilead Sciences 68 Very Positive mention(s) 4 Positive mention(s) 6 Neutral mention(s) 2 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Merck & Co., Inc. 39 Very Positive mention(s) 7 Positive mention(s) 7 Neutral mention(s) 6 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has higher valuation and earnings, MRK or MRNA?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Moderna. Moderna is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 5.78 $18.25B $1.25 121.77 Moderna $1.94B 35.81 -$2.82B -$7.99 N/A

Is MRK or MRNA more profitable?

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 4.77% compared to Moderna's net margin of -141.43%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 16.73% beat Moderna's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Merck & Co., Inc. 4.77% 16.73% 6.13% Moderna -141.43% -28.30% -19.39%

Does the media refer more to MRK or MRNA?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 6 more articles in the media than Moderna. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 60 mentions for Moderna. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 0.81 beat Moderna's score of 0.59 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 39 Very Positive mention(s) 7 Positive mention(s) 7 Neutral mention(s) 6 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Moderna 29 Very Positive mention(s) 6 Positive mention(s) 6 Neutral mention(s) 8 Negative mention(s) 7 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Does the media favor MRK or VRTX?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 15 more articles in the media than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 51 mentions for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Vertex Pharmaceuticals' average media sentiment score of 1.48 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Vertex Pharmaceuticals is being referred to more favorably in the news media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Merck & Co., Inc. 39 Very Positive mention(s) 7 Positive mention(s) 7 Neutral mention(s) 6 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Vertex Pharmaceuticals 44 Very Positive mention(s) 2 Positive mention(s) 2 Neutral mention(s) 3 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Which has better earnings & valuation, ABBV or MRK?

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than AbbVie. AbbVie is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Company Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio AbbVie $64.39B 7.29 $4.23B $3.54 75.04 Merck & Co., Inc. $65.01B 5.78 $18.25B $1.25 121.77

Is ABBV or MRK more profitable?

AbbVie has a net margin of 9.80% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 16.73% beat AbbVie's return on equity. Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets AbbVie 9.80% -422.07% 14.34% Merck & Co., Inc. 4.77% 16.73% 6.13%

Does the media prefer ABBV or MRK?

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 17 more articles in the media than AbbVie. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 49 mentions for AbbVie. AbbVie's average media sentiment score of 1.13 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that AbbVie is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment AbbVie 34 Very Positive mention(s) 5 Positive mention(s) 8 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 1 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Merck & Co., Inc. 39 Very Positive mention(s) 7 Positive mention(s) 7 Neutral mention(s) 6 Negative mention(s) 2 Very Negative mention(s) Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

$152.21 +17.04 (+12.61%)

Closing price 08/19/2026 03:59 PM Eastern

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MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

Should you buy Merck & Co., Inc. stock or one of its competitors? Merck & Co., Inc.'s main competitors and comparable companies include Amgen (AMGN), Gilead Sciences (GILD), Moderna (MRNA), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX), and AbbVie (ABBV). Companies are selected based on similarities in market, industry, and size. These companies are all part of the "healthcare" sector.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Amgen?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, media sentiment, valuation and profitability.

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.5% of Amgen shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Amgen shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus target price of $138.80, indicating a potential downside of 8.81%. Amgen has a consensus target price of $379.36, indicating a potential downside of 14.24%. Given Merck & Co., Inc.'s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Merck & Co., Inc. is more favorable than Amgen.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.70
Amgen	3 Sell rating(s)	14 Hold rating(s)	13 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.39

Amgen has a net margin of 22.95% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. Amgen's return on equity of 124.14% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	4.77%	16.73%	6.13%
Amgen	22.95%	124.14%	13.18%

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 2 more articles in the media than Amgen. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 64 mentions for Amgen. Amgen's average media sentiment score of 1.19 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Amgen is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	39 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	6 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Amgen	49 Very Positive mention(s)	5 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.19, meaning that its share price is 81% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Amgen has a beta of 0.41, meaning that its share price is 59% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Amgen pays an annual dividend of $10.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 272.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Amgen pays out 62.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Merck & Co., Inc. has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years and Amgen has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Amgen is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Amgen. Amgen is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	5.78	$18.25B	$1.25	121.77
Amgen	$38.10B	6.28	$7.71B	$16.09	27.49

Summary

Amgen beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Gilead Sciences?

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends and profitability.

Gilead Sciences currently has a consensus price target of $158.04, indicating a potential upside of 7.07%. Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus price target of $138.80, indicating a potential downside of 8.81%. Given Gilead Sciences' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Gilead Sciences is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Gilead Sciences	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	24 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.83
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.70

Gilead Sciences has a beta of 0.32, indicating that its share price is 68% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.19, indicating that its share price is 81% less volatile than the broader market.

83.7% of Gilead Sciences shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Gilead Sciences shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Gilead Sciences pays an annual dividend of $3.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Gilead Sciences pays out -122.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 272.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Gilead Sciences has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years and Merck & Co., Inc. has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Merck & Co., Inc. is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Gilead Sciences. Gilead Sciences is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Gilead Sciences	$30.46B	6.01	$8.51B	-$2.67	N/A
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	5.78	$18.25B	$1.25	121.77

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 4.77% compared to Gilead Sciences' net margin of -10.64%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 16.73% beat Gilead Sciences' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Gilead Sciences	-10.64%	-2.11%	-0.75%
Merck & Co., Inc.	4.77%	16.73%	6.13%

In the previous week, Gilead Sciences had 27 more articles in the media than Merck & Co., Inc.. MarketBeat recorded 93 mentions for Gilead Sciences and 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc.. Gilead Sciences' average media sentiment score of 1.23 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Gilead Sciences is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Gilead Sciences	68 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Merck & Co., Inc.	39 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	6 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Summary

Gilead Sciences beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 10 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Moderna?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, profitability, media sentiment, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus target price of $138.80, indicating a potential downside of 8.81%. Moderna has a consensus target price of $59.69, indicating a potential downside of 65.77%. Given Merck & Co., Inc.'s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Merck & Co., Inc. is more favorable than Moderna.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.70
Moderna	4 Sell rating(s)	11 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00

Merck & Co., Inc. has a net margin of 4.77% compared to Moderna's net margin of -141.43%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 16.73% beat Moderna's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	4.77%	16.73%	6.13%
Moderna	-141.43%	-28.30%	-19.39%

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 6 more articles in the media than Moderna. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 60 mentions for Moderna. Merck & Co., Inc.'s average media sentiment score of 0.81 beat Moderna's score of 0.59 indicating that Merck & Co., Inc. is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	39 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	6 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Moderna	29 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	6 Neutral mention(s)	8 Negative mention(s)	7 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Moderna. Moderna is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	5.78	$18.25B	$1.25	121.77
Moderna	$1.94B	35.81	-$2.82B	-$7.99	N/A

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.3% of Moderna shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 10.8% of Moderna shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.19, suggesting that its share price is 81% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Moderna has a beta of 0.91, suggesting that its share price is 9% less volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. beats Moderna on 13 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, dividends, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations and valuation.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 15 more articles in the media than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 51 mentions for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Vertex Pharmaceuticals' average media sentiment score of 1.48 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that Vertex Pharmaceuticals is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Merck & Co., Inc.	39 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	6 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	44 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	3 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a net margin of 35.00% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals' return on equity of 23.09% beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Merck & Co., Inc.	4.77%	16.73%	6.13%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	35.00%	23.09%	16.72%

76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.0% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Vertex Pharmaceuticals shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Vertex Pharmaceuticals is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	5.78	$18.25B	$1.25	121.77
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$12.00B	11.67	$3.95B	$17.18	32.13

Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.19, suggesting that its share price is 81% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a beta of 0.3, suggesting that its share price is 70% less volatile than the broader market.

Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus target price of $138.80, indicating a potential downside of 8.81%. Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a consensus target price of $563.50, indicating a potential upside of 2.07%. Given Vertex Pharmaceuticals' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Vertex Pharmaceuticals is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.70
Vertex Pharmaceuticals	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	20 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.92

Summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to AbbVie?

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) are both large-cap healthcare companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability and media sentiment.

In the previous week, Merck & Co., Inc. had 17 more articles in the media than AbbVie. MarketBeat recorded 66 mentions for Merck & Co., Inc. and 49 mentions for AbbVie. AbbVie's average media sentiment score of 1.13 beat Merck & Co., Inc.'s score of 0.81 indicating that AbbVie is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
AbbVie	34 Very Positive mention(s)	5 Positive mention(s)	8 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Merck & Co., Inc.	39 Very Positive mention(s)	7 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	6 Negative mention(s)	2 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

AbbVie has a net margin of 9.80% compared to Merck & Co., Inc.'s net margin of 4.77%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s return on equity of 16.73% beat AbbVie's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
AbbVie	9.80%	-422.07%	14.34%
Merck & Co., Inc.	4.77%	16.73%	6.13%

AbbVie has a beta of 0.3, indicating that its stock price is 70% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Merck & Co., Inc. has a beta of 0.19, indicating that its stock price is 81% less volatile than the broader market.

AbbVie presently has a consensus target price of $275.73, suggesting a potential upside of 3.80%. Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus target price of $138.80, suggesting a potential downside of 8.81%. Given AbbVie's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe AbbVie is more favorable than Merck & Co., Inc..

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
AbbVie	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	19 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.88
Merck & Co., Inc.	0 Sell rating(s)	7 Hold rating(s)	16 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.70

AbbVie pays an annual dividend of $6.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $3.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. AbbVie pays out 195.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Merck & Co., Inc. pays out 272.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. AbbVie has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years and Merck & Co., Inc. has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. AbbVie is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

70.2% of AbbVie shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.1% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of AbbVie shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Merck & Co., Inc. shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Merck & Co., Inc. has higher revenue and earnings than AbbVie. AbbVie is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Merck & Co., Inc., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
AbbVie	$64.39B	7.29	$4.23B	$3.54	75.04
Merck & Co., Inc.	$65.01B	5.78	$18.25B	$1.25	121.77

Summary

AbbVie beats Merck & Co., Inc. on 13 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding MRK and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NYSE and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.

MRK vs. The Competition

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Metric	Merck & Co., Inc.	Pharmaceuticals Industry	Healthcare Sector	NYSE Exchange
Market Cap	$333.49B	$12.20B	$7.17B	$24.19B
Dividend Yield	2.52%	2.66%	2.55%	3.73%
P/E Ratio	121.77	779.77	268.95	30.14
Price / Sales	5.78	763.30	620.03	19.93
Price / Cash	11.83	96.52	78.23	31.97
Price / Book	8.94	12.14	13.24	6.84
Net Income	$18.25B	$2.81B	$3.47B	$1.07B
7 Day Performance	12.27%	1.17%	2.25%	-0.57%
1 Month Performance	22.35%	2.61%	5.33%	2.97%
1 Year Performance	79.76%	8.76%	29.22%	18.26%

Merck & Co., Inc. Competitors List

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Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
MRK Merck & Co., Inc.	4.4108 of 5 stars	$152.21 +12.6%	$139.20 -8.5%	+79.1%	$333.49B	$65.01B	121.77	75,000	Trending News Analyst Downgrade Options Volume Gap Up High Trading Volume
AMGN Amgen	3.8644 of 5 stars	$411.93 +0.2%	$371.68 -9.8%	+49.7%	$222.24B	$36.75B	25.55	31,500	Trending News Analyst Forecast
GILD Gilead Sciences	4.0966 of 5 stars	$133.24 +0.0%	$158.04 +18.6%	+25.1%	$165.09B	$29.44B	N/A	17,000	Trending News Insider Trade Analyst Revision
MRNA Moderna	1.7026 of 5 stars	$59.93 +1.3%	$42.13 -29.7%	+524.8%	$23.87B	$1.94B	N/A	4,700	Trending News Analyst Upgrade Options Volume Gap Up
VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals	4.1845 of 5 stars	$530.26 +6.9%	$563.50 +6.3%	+41.3%	$134.27B	$12.00B	30.79	6,400	Positive News

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This page (NYSE:MRK) was last updated on 8/20/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Amgen?

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Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Competitors

MRK vs. AMGN, GILD, MRNA, VRTX, and ABBV

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Amgen?

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of MRK or AMGN?

Do analysts rate MRK or AMGN?

Is MRK or AMGN more profitable?

Does the media prefer MRK or AMGN?

Which has more volatility and risk, MRK or AMGN?

Is MRK or AMGN a better dividend stock?

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, MRK or AMGN?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Gilead Sciences?

Do analysts recommend GILD or MRK?

Which has more risk & volatility, GILD or MRK?

Do insiders and institutionals have more ownership in GILD or MRK?

Is GILD or MRK a better dividend stock?

Which has preferable earnings and valuation, GILD or MRK?

Is GILD or MRK more profitable?

Does the media prefer GILD or MRK?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Moderna?

Do analysts prefer MRK or MRNA?

Is MRK or MRNA more profitable?

Does the media refer more to MRK or MRNA?

Which has higher valuation and earnings, MRK or MRNA?

Do institutionals & insiders believe in MRK or MRNA?

Which has more risk and volatility, MRK or MRNA?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to Vertex Pharmaceuticals?

Does the media favor MRK or VRTX?

Is MRK or VRTX more profitable?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in MRK or VRTX?

Which has better valuation & earnings, MRK or VRTX?

Which has more risk & volatility, MRK or VRTX?

Do analysts recommend MRK or VRTX?

Summary

How does Merck & Co., Inc. compare to AbbVie?

Does the media prefer ABBV or MRK?

Is ABBV or MRK more profitable?

Which has more risk and volatility, ABBV or MRK?

Do analysts rate ABBV or MRK?

Is ABBV or MRK a better dividend stock?

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in ABBV or MRK?

Which has better earnings & valuation, ABBV or MRK?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

MRK vs. The Competition

Merck & Co., Inc. Competitors List

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